Melvin KNUTSON

Notes:

He was a single farmer in Valley County, Montana, when he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917.

In the 1930 census, he was a “hired man” on a farm in Phillips County, Montana.

In the 1940 census, he was a lodger with William Gust in Whitewater Twp, Phillips County, Montana.

Birth:
the birth date in SSDI

Died:
this is questionable: the Montana Death Index claims that this Melvin Knutson was 94 years old

Notes:

In the 1900 census, he, as Ben Knudtson, and his family were farming in Barton Twp, Worth County, Iowa.

From D M Scott’s contribution to Find A Grave:

#1
BEN KNUDTSON FROZEN TO DEATH

The Christmas festivities of our neighboring town of Carpenter were sadly broken into by the tragic death of one of her citizens, Mr. Ben Knudtson, who died about noon from the effects of having spent the night out - lying beside the railroad track in that awful cold.

Mr. Knudtson came back from Lyle on the 8:20 train Christmas Eve. He had not been up to Lyle to buy either hardware or dry goods, but had already celebrated too much for his own good. When he got off the train he started for his home, which was about a mile northwest of Carpenter; but instead of going around the road, he started cross lots intending to go north on the railroad till he crossed the bridge, then take a path through the woods for home. He only got across the bridge when he fell and rolled down the high embankment, striking on a lot of rocks which lay at the bottom. It is quite evident that he was considerably injured by the fall or he could have managed to have gotten up and out of there. But there he lay during all that bitter, cold night.

At about eleven o'clock Knudtson's son, Ed, about 17 years of age, in company with Ed Edwarson, a boy of about his own age crossed the bridge and heard someone calling to them to hold on but they thought it was a tramp trying to waylay them and they ran as fast as their legs could carry them, and went over to Gilbert Severson's close by and stayed all night. The next morning Severson and Edwards went back to the bridge and, alas, there lay Knudtson, not dead but pretty near it, though he was still conscious and in fact, remained so until just before he died.

They took him home and immediately called Dr. Culmsee. The doctor arrived there about eleven o'clock, but alas he was beyond the reach of medical aid. His injuries were too severe to be helped and he died within an hour. His hands, face and legs were frozen terribly, and he was suffering from internal injuries, evidently caused by falling down the embankment.

The funeral was held on Saturday, conducted at the Deer Creek N. L. Church by Reverend J. Olsen.

It was just eight years ago to a day, that his brother, Theo, came to an untimely death in the same woods, and not a mile from the same place.

[St. Ansgar Enterprise, Dec., 1902, St. Ansgar Iowa Museum Collection]


#2
Ben E Knudtson was born March 1852 in Iowa, son of Even Knudtson, born June 14, 1824

Norway…died August 3, 1902 Iowa (Buried First Lutheran Cemetery, Saint Ansgar (as per Mitchell Co., Grave Records: Ancestery)
and Gerhardine Boyesdatter Heile..according to a tree found on Ancestry: born February 3, 1828 in Norway…died January 27, 1911 Carpenter.

Ben E Knudtson was buried in Deer Creek Lutheran Cemetery according to a tree found.

According to the tree found, Ben Knudtson married Ingeborg Aslaksdtr. Ellingboe who was born March 5, 1865 Noway and died July 5, 1956 in Dickey Co., North Dakota. After Ben's death she married Hans Hanson in 1907.

The son Ed mentioned in Bens obit was Edwin Ben Knudtson 1888-1929 died Minnesota. (name on Minn. Death record has last name spelled Knutsen

His brother Theo mentioned in the obit was Theodore E Knudtson born December 1, 1863…died December 25, 1894…buried First Lutheran (burial from Mitchell Co., Grave Records, Ancestry)

#3
1900 US Census: Deer Creek, Worth, Iowa
Ben Knudtson 48 born March 1852 Iowa
Ingeborg 35 born March 1865 Norway
Edwin 12 born February 1888 Iowa 9died November 3, 1929 Minnesota)
Melvin 8 born March 1892 Iowa (died Montana December 1963)
Antone 6 born October 1894 Iowa (Antone Leonard..his Minn. Death record shows his mothers maiden name as Ellingboe)

Ben married Ingeborg Åslaksdatter ELLINGBÖ on 5 Feb 1887 in St. Ansgar, Mitchell County, Iowa. Ingeborg (daughter of Åslak Amundsson BÖE and Randi Olsdatter ELLINGBÖ) was born on 4 Mar 1865 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 5 Jul 1956 in Dickey County, North Dakota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 14 May 1865, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

She was her mother’s 2nd illegitimate daughter.

Living with her unmarried mother and half-sister Sigri with Anders Larsson and his wife Gunhild Andersdatter on the Hougen farm in Vang in the 1865 census.

Her baptismal sponsors were Gunhilda Andersdatter Ellingböe, Ingrid Åslaksdatter Böe, Tollev Olsson Ellingböe, Anders Larsson Ellingböe, and Ole Olson Baggethun. Tollev Olsson Ellingböe is the responsible member of the parish standing up for the illegitimate child.

The 1900 census shows her emigrating to the U. S. in 1885. She had had 3 children, all 3 still living. The Vang church book shows her leaving Vang in June of 1885. She was referred to in the emigration record as Ingeborg Aslaksdatter Kattevold (Ellingbö).

A comment on one of the genealogy boards calls her Ingeborg Hanson of North Dakota.

Some sources erroneously ascribe her mother as a different woman, Randi Olsdatter Brækken.

There is another Ingeborg Ellingboe as #10723.

Died:
as Engeborg K Hanson, North Dakota Deaths index

Notes:

Married:
according to the Iowa Marriages database in FamilySearch

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 27 Jun 1824, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Baptism:
in the Vang stavkirke

Even married Gerhardine Bøyesdatter HEILE. Gerhardine (daughter of Böye Ovesen BERGE and Marte Christophersdatter LEIROL) was born on 3 Feb 1828 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

dwfrench1 calls him Aslak Amundsen Himme, born 30 May 1845 on Flaten in Øye to Amund Aslaksen Bøe Nordre and Sigri Helgesdatter Norsvin.

Åslak married Randi Olsdatter ELLINGBÖ. Randi (daughter of Ola Helgesson ELLINGBØE and Randi Larsdatter ELLINGBÖ) was born on 16 Jan 1841 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 28 Feb 1841, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Born in Nørre Ellingbøhaugen 33 according to Trudy.

One of her baptism sponsors was Christopher Helgesson, probably her uncle Christopher Helgesson Ellingbö who was also a sponsor for (the also illegitimate) Ove Ellingboe (#3231).

She was an unmarried servant living with her daughters Ingeborg and Sigrid with Anders Larsson and his wife Gunhild Andersdatter on the Hougen farm in Vang in the 1865 census.

In the 1900 Norwegian census, Randi and Sigri, both unmarried, were living together on a farm referred to as “uden navn Plads uden jord under gaarden Thune nordre.” The two of them were referred to as “aannearbeide, dagarbeider (egne midler).”

Notes:

Vang B, p. 288.

He married his first cousin.

Birth:
Heen 70/2 Bøkko

Died:
Hagen 88/3-9-16 av Jevne, Ryfoss

Knud married Sigri Gulbrandsdatter UVDAL. Sigri (daughter of Gudbrand Gudbrandsen UVDAL and Ingebjørg Sjugurdsdatter STRAND) was born in 1795 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in 1833 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She married her first cousin.

Died:
Nordland

Notes:

Jim calls him Bøye Ovesen Wangensteen in his VS, in which this person is I1995.

Vang A, p. 403.

Birth:
Berge 22/A

Died:
Stele 21/1 Nerre

Böye married Marte Christophersdatter LEIROL in 1823. Marte (daughter of Kristoffer Olsen LEROHL and Berte Torsteinsdatter BØE) was born in 1806 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 23 Aug 1830 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Bøye’s first wife. He had two more.

Jim calls her Marte Kristoffersdtr Leirol, #I1996 in VS.

Birth:
Leirol 62/2 Sygården

Died:
Stele 21/1 Nerre

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer

Notes:

Husmann at Nordigarden (33/5), later at Haugen under Bøkko.

Vang A, pp. 585 and 574.Vang A, p. 588.

Died:
no comments on cause of death

Ola married Randi Larsdatter ELLINGBÖ on 25 Oct 1838 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Randi (daughter of Lars Michelson KRØSSHAUG and Randi Evensdatter ELLINGBØ) was born on 29 Apr 1815 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in 1895 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Confirmation: 13 Sep 1829, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

A Randi Larsdatter Ellingboe, b. 29 Apr 1815, was confirmed in Vang on 13 Sept 1829. This Randi’s parents were Lars Michelson and Randi Evensdatter. The father of the Randi who married Ole Helgesson was Lars Michelson. The father of the Randi who married Knud Iverson was Lars Tostenson. However, Randi is called a widow in the record for her marriage to Knud and her age is 30. Thus, the church book entry for the bride’s father is probably in error for the entry for her 2nd marriage.

She and her second husband may have moved to Tveit according to Trudy. Knut and Randi were living at Tveith in the 1865 census.

Birth:
the date in her confirmation record; may be date of baptism

Died:
Tveitholene 90/8 øvre according to Jim